Atari VCS Gets Slightly Changed Look More Like Atari 2600

The Atari VCS gets a new look that should more closely resemble that of the original Atari 2600. The biggest change is a small raise under the console. This means that the console ‘floats’ above the ground, just like the original.

According to the manufacturer’s Medium post, the Atari 2600’s hovering effect has often surfaced in conversations with Atari employees and others. The consensus was that the VCS should have a similar effect. That is why the makers have placed a small increase under the console.

Thanks to this riser, the console now has room for two USB 3.0 connections on the front, according to Atari. An earlier design had four ports on the back. The final design has two ports in the front and two ports in the back. The ports on the front should make the console more user-friendly, because users can quickly plug in a USB stick, for example.

According to Atari, moving the ports also made it clear that the SD card reader was unnecessary. Storage media that work with USB can be found everywhere, so such a reader is not necessary, according to the console builder. Atari also points out that this is in line with what other console builders are doing.

The latest exterior change has to do with the red-lit Atari logo and the four LED lights that were shown on some renders. The four lights will be canceled and the Atari logo will soon be illuminated in white. The logo communicates system information, such as whether the device is turned on, whether accessories are being paired, and whether there is an internet connection. This is communicated with different light patterns. Atari also gives the joysticks and controllers a white backlit logo. The company will show those controllers later.

Finally, Atari indicates that the production process of the console has been adjusted. Where the ‘ribs’ of the console would first be produced separately and the package of eighteen layers would be glued together, the console now consists of four parts. According to Atari, this new construction is stronger, uses less residual material and can be manufactured faster. Production is also cheaper.

The new console is 31.2cm wide, 15cm deep and 5.1cm high. In March, Atari announced that the console will be delayed until 2020 due to a switch to an AMD Ryzen apu. In presale, the console costs 286 euros converted with VAT for a variant without controllers, an Atari VCS with controller and joystick costs 388 euros converted with VAT. The console will come with retro games, but new games will also come out for the console, Atari says.